1997 Honda Accord

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 HONDA ACCORD. WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS FOR LONGER THAN 30 MINUTES, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE RPM'S WERE HIGHER THAN NORMAL AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A TRANSMISSION MECHANIC AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 108,000. UPDATED 09/25/08 *BF THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 09/26/08. *JB

I AM HAVING AN ISSUE WITH MY AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ON MY 1997 HONDA ACCORD EX COUPE. I HAD MY TRANSMISSION SERVICED RECENTLY AND APPARENTLY THE CODE P0740 CAME UP WHICH IS RELATED TO THE TORQUE CONVERTER. WITH MANY HOURS OR RESEARCH AND SPEAKING WITH AMERICAN HONDA THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH ALL THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS ON HONDAS 1997 AND NEWER. THIS PROBLEM RESULTS IN THE TRANSMISSION NEEDING REPLACEMENT. THE CLUTCH SLIPS AND TAKES SHARDS OF METAL OFF LEADING TO A CLOG IN THE FILTER. THE PROBLEM WILL CAUSE TOTAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT ANY TIME. WHEN I CALLED AMERICAN HONDA THEY WERE UNWILLING TO HELP ME WITH THIS ISSUE. THEY STATED THAT IT WAS A KNOWN ISSUE BUT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT THEY WOULD DO FOR ME. MY ONLY OPTION NOW IS TO SPEND 3000.00 TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION WHICH SEEMS UNFAIR SINCE THE CAR IS IN OTHERWISE FANTASTIC SHAPE. *NM

CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT 30 MPH WHEN THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER WHEEL CAME OFF. VEHICLE WAS TOWED, AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE LOWER BALL JOINTS SEPARATED, AND THE AXLE CRACKED. MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE BALL JOINT NHTSA RECALL 99V069000. *AK....AS ARESULT, OF BROKEN LOWER BALL JOINT RIGHT FRONT WHEEL DETACHED AND WAS LODGED UNDENEATH THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. THE FRONT END WAS ON THE GROUND, AND FLUID WAS LEAKING ALL OVER THE ROAD. CONSUMER CALLED AAA AND VEHICLE WAS TOWED T A LOCAL MECHANIC, WHO IDENTIFIED THE PROBLEM AS A BROKEN RIGHT SIDE LOWER BALL JOINT. HOWEVER, IT WAS OBVIOUS TO THE MECHANIC THAT THIS WAS NOT A TYPICAL PROBLEN, AND WAS NOT THE RESULT OF NAURAL WEAR. THERE WAS A TECHNICAL SERVIC EBULLETIN WHICH APPLIED TO THIS VEHICLE. MECHANIC REPLACED LOWER BALL JOINT AND CRACKED AXLE. IN ADDITION, HAD THE BALL JOINT ON THE OTHER SIDE REPLACED, EVEN THOUGH IT SEEMED TO BE TIGHT, AS A PRECAUTION SO THAT THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. *AK

I HAVE A 1997 HONDA ACCORD, MODEL LX-V6, VIN [XXX] WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM PHILADELPHIA AND NEARING HOME WHEN AFTER STARTING FROM A STOP LIGHT IN D4 (AUTO) THE CAR VIBRATED VIGOROUSLY AND STALLED. (THE VIBRATION AND STALLING WAS LIKE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN OPERATING A MANUAL TRANSMISSION CAR AND RELEASING THE CLUTCH SUDDENLY.) I PULLED OVER AND STARTED THE ENGINE FROM PARK TO D4 AND AGAIN I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I REPEATED WITH D2 AND THE CAR DID NOT STALL ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE WAS MAKING SOME NOISE. I DROVE THE CAR TO A NEARBY HONDA DEALER, PLANET HONDA IN UNION, NJ AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM. THE CAR WAS LEFT AT THE DEALER FOR 2 DAYS BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO GIVE A REASON FOR THIS. THE NOISE IN THE ENGINE STILL APPEARS AND THE DEALER IS SUGGESTING REPLACING THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND IF THE PROBLEM OCCURRED ON THE HIGHWAY INSTEAD OF A LOCAL ROAD IT COULD HAVE BEEN HAZARDOUS. *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ON 7/27/03, SUNDAY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT SHOWED UP, I DECIDED TO TAKE THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC RIGHT AWAY THE NEXT DAY, BUT ON MONDAY MORNING, I COULDN'T EVEN GET OUT TO THE MAIN ROAD FROM MY DEVELOPMENT AND THE CAR JUST LOST THE GEAR. THIS HAPPENED WITHOUT ANY WARNING SIGN, AND THE INCIDENT COULD HAVE TURNED FATAL AT HIGHWAY TRAFFIC AND SPEEDS. CAR JUST HAS 58K MILES AND HONDA REFUSES TO HELP IN ANY WAY, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE HISTORY OF SUCH PROBLEMS AND THEY EVEN HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRENTY FOR SUCH PROBLEMS ON NEWER HONDA AND ACURA BRANDED VEHICLES. THE REASON FOR REFUSAL IS THAT THEY DON'T PROVIDE GOODWILL ASSISTANCE TO VEHICLES MORE THAN 5 YEARS OLD. BUT THE BOTTOMLINE IS THAT I HAVE MAINTAINED THIS VEHICLE WELL AND GENERALLY THE USAGE HABITS AFFECT MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS NOT THE AUTOMATIC ONES. WE HAVE DRIVEN OTHER CARS TO DEATH AND NOTHING HAD HAPPENED TO THEIR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS, SO THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THERE IS CERTAIN QUALITY AND DURABILITY THAT IS EXPECTED FROM ANY PRODUCT, AND THE MANUFECTURER SHOULD BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY PRODUCT THAT FAILS, EVEN IF IT HAPPENS OUTSIDE OF WARRENTY. THE FACT THAT THEY PROVIDE 7 YEARS/100000 MILES EXTENDED WARRENTY ON NEWER VEHICLES, SETS UP A PRECEDENT, THAT IS THEY EXPECT A DEFECT FREE TRANSMISSION TO LAST AT LEAST THAT LONG. HONDA JUST THINKS THAT THEY CAN GET AWAY WITHOUT FIXING OLDER CARS BECAUSE THEY THINK OWENERS WON'T PURSUE THEIR CASE IN THE COURT, BUT I AM GOING TO THE SMALL CLAIMS COURT FOR SURE ON THIS ONE.

HI, SEVERAL YEARS AGO I REPORTED TO NHTSA (AND CORPORATE HONDA)THAT MY HONDA ACCORD HAD SERIOUS TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. A NHTSA ENGINEER TELEPHONED ME AND DID IN FACT GO OUT TO A DEALER TO INVESTIGATE MY ALLEGATION. NO ACTION WAS TAKEN BY NHTSA AND HONDA DID NOTHING TO FIX THE TRANSMISSION DEFECT. TODAY, SOME YEARS AFTER MY COMPLAINT, I HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOPS ARE EXPERIENCING A LARGE AND UNUSUAL INCREASE IN TRANSMISSION FAILURES OF THE HONDA ACCORD, 4 AND 6-CYLINDER. FAILURES ARE OCCURRING AT 40,000 TO 60,000 MILES. HONDA DEALERSHIPS HERE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ARE NOT PAYING FOR THESE PREMATURE FAILURES, INSTEAD OWNERS ARE PAYING $6,000.000 FOR NEW TRANMISSIONS. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. YOURS VERY TRULY, PETER REITER/PSREITER@AOL.COM